ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE MAKING MEDICAL DISCOVERIES FOR HUMANITY A supportive environment and access to superb facilities pave the way for researchers to have a major impact in the search for treatments. teams to develop new structural biologist changes from an inactive form to approaches to preventing and Dr Peter Czabotar (pictured). an active, pro-apoptotic form. treating diseases. The institute His research focuses on proteins “Knowing what was focuses on three critical areas: that control apoptotic cell death, happening to the proteins gave cancer, including blood, breast, the process which determines us a new way of understanding brain, gastrointestinal and rare the number of cells in the body. how they induce cell death,” Dr cancers; immune disorders, “Dysregulated apoptosis has Czabotar says. He comments including asthma, coeliac been implicated in a range of that the focus on translating disease, diabetes and lupus; and diseases, including cancer, research into clinical outcomes infectious diseases, particularly autoimmune diseases and was a highlight of working at malaria, hepatitis B and HIV. neurodegenerative conditions,” the institute. The Walter and Eliza Hall Institute scientists he explains. “For example, in “One exciting field has been Institute (WEHI) is a world- have access to a range of some cancers, disruptions in the development of compounds class medical research institute technologies including high- normal apoptotic cell death that block pro-survival proteins, located in Melbourne’s Parkville throughput screening, genomics enable cancer cells to survive which may have applications biomedical hub. More than and gene editing, proteomics when they should die.” for treating cancers or 800 researchers at the institute and microscopy. The strong Part of Dr Czabotar’s research other conditions,” he says. strive for breakthroughs to be collaborative culture gives considers molecular changes “Engineering new compounds translated into better treatments researchers access to additional in BAX, a protein that drives that prevent cell death could for improved health around infrastructure, such as the cell death. The Australian also revolutionize the treatment the world. Australian Synchrotron. Synchrotron enabled his team to of other diseases.” Its scientists work in The synchrotron was critical create three-dimensional images In addition to its collaborative, multidisciplinary to recent discoveries by institute of BAX to understand how it international reputation for fundamental and translational research, the institute strongly advocates for gender TOP 10 COLLABORATORS (2016 FC) BY NUMBERS 1. The University of Melbourne (UniMelb) 19.79 equity and has implemented 2. Monash University 4.69 initiatives to build diversity in 3. La Trobe University 3.46 4. Vienna Biocenter (VBC), Austria 2.62 its workforce. Many exciting 5. Melbourne Health 2.05 TOP RANKED NON-PROFIT 6. Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre (Peter Mac) 1.65 opportunities for research ORGANIZATION INSTITUTION 7. Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) 1.59 faculty, postdoctoral research IN AUSTRALIA EVERY YEAR 8. Imperial College London (ICL) 1.44 FROM 2012 TO 2016 9. University of New South Wales (UNSW) 1.13 and study are available at the # (ALL SUBJECTS, WFC) 10. The University of Sydney (USYD), Australia 1.05 institute: www.wehi.edu.au/ 1 n about/career-opportunities. NUMBER OF DOMESTIC AND INTERNATIONAL 8 COLLABORATING 7 4 INSTITUTIONS 2016* 40 domestic 10 331 international 1 9 *excludes joint institutions 2 6 www.wehi.edu.au WFC = weighted fractional count 3 5 +61 3 9345 2555 [email protected] Source: Nature Index Advertiser retains sole responsibility for content.